Jewish school's basketball team wins at hardball

Schedule is changed so that school can be in semis.

By Steve Campbell

Updated 1:14 am, Friday, March 2, 2012

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle

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Co-Captains Isaac Buchine and Isaac Mirwis embrace after a news conference at Beren Academy in Houston. The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools will let the school participate in the Class 2A state semifinals.

Co-Captains Isaac Buchine and Isaac Mirwis embrace after a news conference at Beren Academy in Houston. The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools will let the school participate in the Class 2A

Co-Captains Isaac Buchine and Isaac Mirwis address reporters during a news conference at Beren Academy in Houston. The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools will let the school participate in the Class 2A state semifinals.

Co-Captains Isaac Buchine and Isaac Mirwis address reporters during a news conference at Beren Academy in Houston. The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools will let the school participate in the

The fading boys basketball dreams of Houston's Beren Academy took on a vivid, stunningly bright shape and form Thursday.

The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, faced with the threat of a legal battle, relented and allowed Beren to participate in the Class 2A state semifinals.

Beren players Isaac Mirwis, Isaac Buchine and Isaac Jacobson and parents Etan Mirwis, Mark Buchine and Myra Weisfeld filed suit Thursday morning against the Mansfield Independent School District, host of the state championship, and TAPPS in U.S. District Court, alleging a violation of religious freedoms.

Rather than fight the matter in court, TAPPS Executive Director Ed Burleson opted to amend the schedule to accommodate Beren's Jewish Sabbath observances.

“Unlike many people, TAPPS does follow the law, and we will comply,” Burleson said.

Under the revised Friday schedule, Beren will face Dallas Covenant at 2 p.m. at Fort Bend Nolan Catholic High and Logos Prep of Sugar Land will face Abilene Christian at 7:30 p.m. at Mansfield High.

The reversal by TAPPS triggered a celebration in the Beren hallways, with players jumping and screaming.

“We were ecstatic,” said Isaac Buchine, a senior shooting guard. “Some of the teachers came out into the halls and asked us to be a little bit quieter, but we're extremely excited. We've worked for this for such a long time, and it's just great to see that hard work truly does pay off.”

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The original schedule called for Beren to play at 9 p.m., which would have conflicted with the Sabbath. If Beren wins Friday, coach Chris Cole said, the state title game likely would fall at 8 p.m. or later Saturday.

“We're disappointed that TAPPS didn't use this occasion to make a statement of inclusion,” said Rabbi Harry Sinoff, head of Beren Academy. “This is really about good basketball, good competition. How is it that you can't want the best four teams in your Final Four?

“It's not about rules. We understand they thought we had agreed years ago we would never try to play in the playoffs. We thought, based on precedent and just plain fairness, that accommodations would be made.”

Seventh-Day Adventists observe the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, and Burton paid the cost for reserving the original and a second venue.

Beren tried to advance that argument earlier this week with TAPPS, but the Executive Board voted 8-0 on Wednesday to deny an appeal to reschedule the games.

“We were delighted they had a change of heart,” Cole said. “At the same time, we're a little disappointed it came down to a lawsuit. A lot of the reasons that we were given the past four or five days was that it was just too hard to do, that there was too much to take care of. To be able to do it at the last minute, I think it shows that it can be done. And it could have been much easier on everybody.”

Cole noted that the team hadn't even had a full practice on Wednesday, that players did little more than shoot and cling to faint hopes of playing.

He ran a closed practice Thursday, in which the team made its first preparations directed at its opponent. Dallas Covenant was in a similar predicament on that front, having spent the week preparing to face Beren's designated semifinal stand-in, Kerrville's Our Lady of the Hills Regional Catholic High.

Our Lady of the Hills' coach, Matt Casey, said he supported TAPPS' decision and that Beren deserved to be included.

“It was an interesting feeling being in the playoffs after we already lost,” Casey said. “We knew what it felt like to have our season end already, then it happened again today.”

Parker posted the following statement Thursday night on Twitter: “Glad the boys @ Beren Academy will play Bball. Great that their opponents were good sports. Too bad it took legal action to move TAPPS.”

Ellis and Patrick had placed phone calls to TAPPS officials and crafted a letter expressing frustration at the handling of the matter and urging reconsideration.

The letter characterized the matter as “ a controversy that never should have taken place,” noting the other schools involved had expressed a willingness to reschedule and that Beren had agreed to pay the costs of securing an alternate venue.

“I would be more than happy to host a lunch at the Capitol inviting all the parties involved,” Ellis said. “And I'll make sure it's not conflicting with anybody's Sabbath. I hope they will consider changing the bylaws.”

TAPPS had taken the stance that Beren had entered the organization knowing what the rules were. Changing one rule, TAPPS contended, would open the door to unlimited exceptions in other areas. Burleson's reaction to the legal action that forced TAPPS's hand?

“I try not to react,” Burleson said. “I simply do my job.”

Through it all, senior point guard Isaac Mirwis said, his team's confidence remained “sky-high.” On Friday, his backcourt mate Buchine turns 18.